Experts Available: Biden Administration Vaccine Rollout
As the Biden-Harris Administration sets its agenda for its first one hundred days in office, Scholars Strategy Network has compiled a list of experts who are available to be contacted for commentary and analysis on new policy developments. Below are the scholars who can comment on the COVID-19 vaccine rollout.
You can connect with all researchers available to comment on the Administration's policy priorities here.
Hicks' research focuses on public scientific controversies, and especially the relationship between the public and experts in environmental policy. He is available to comment on science policy, especially public scientific controversies, including vaccine hesitancy.
"The covid-19 vaccines have been developed in an unusual, rapid process. Concerns about safety and effectiveness are reasonable. As people see trusted contacts get vaccinated — their doctor or nurse practitioner, family, friends — their confidence in the vaccines will increase.”
Sobo's research focuses on complementary and alternative approaches to (pediatric) health, the challenges such approaches pose to mainstream medicine, and the ways mainstream medicine work with as well as against them. She is available to comment on pediatric vaccination and public health efforts related to COVID-19, both in regard to underserved communities and in regard to conspiracy theories that are thwarting effective clamp down on the pandemic.
"One of the troubling developments to come along with COVID-19 has been the marriage of convenience between certain anti-vaccine groups and alt-right QAnon conspiracy theorists; the two have united in a push for 'medical freedom'' -- that is, the freedom to shirk one's responsibility to follow public health recommendations."
While Woodruff has a great interest in public policy, his formal training is as an immunology bench researcher specializing in vaccination response. He is available to comment on potential impacts of choosing not to follow protocols (two doses separated by three weeks) from an immunology perspective, and how those decisions should be weighed (and who should be weighing them).